Tammy
Meet
Tammy is an energetic New Entrant specialist and literacy leader who believes every child deserves the strongest possible start to reading, writing and spelling. Teaching four days a week, she brings genuinely classroom-tested, evidence-informed strategies to the teachers she supports across Aotearoa.
Tammy is a dedicated literacy leader with a real gift for teaching our youngest learners. She specialises in New Entrant teaching and makes a point of giving every child the strongest possible start to their reading, writing and spelling journey.
Tammy's career began working as a behaviour therapist with autistic children, before moving into teaching five years later. She now teaches four days a week at Roslyn School in Palmerston North, where she has spent the past five years as literacy leader across Years 0–8, with a particular love for New Entrants, watching young students grow in confidence.
Tammy's connection to Liz Kane Literacy began in 2022, when Liz worked directly with her school as Tammy was starting out on her own structured literacy journey. As literacy leader at the time, she had the chance to learn closely from Liz — an experience that shaped her teaching and leadership from that point on.
Tammy officially joined the Liz Kane Literacy team at the end of 2024 and now spends her Fridays supporting teachers and schools around the country, while continuing to teach four days a week.
That balance shapes everything Tammy brings to her work. Every strategy she shares with teachers has first been trialled in her own classroom, so she's speaking from practice, not just theory, including the real challenges and successes along the way. It's this daily classroom experience, alongside ongoing professional learning and research, that keeps her thinking sharp and current.
Tammy is especially focused on closing gaps early. She sees firsthand how many children now start school with gaps in oral language, vocabulary, phonemic awareness and foundational literacy, and how quickly those gaps can widen without early, explicit teaching.
Her focus is on equipping teachers with the knowledge, confidence and practical tools to teach phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, oral language, handwriting and writing effectively from day one, so that every child is set up to succeed as they move through school.
Outside the classroom, life is full and joyfully busy, cheering on her three children, Emily, Ruby and Charlie, alongside her husband, Jamie. As Tammy will happily admit, literacy isn't just her job, it's her hobby too.
"Everything I present to teachers is something I have used, trialled and refined in my own classroom... I know what I am recommending works in practice."
Tammy's Career Milestones
Early Years:
Behavioural Therapy
Before teaching, Tammy worked as a behavioural specialist, supporting students and staff in schools and kindergartens. It was this experience that sparked her love of the classroom and shaped the energetic, no-fluff approach she's known for today.
2015–Present: Roslyn
Tammy returned to Roslyn School part-time in 2015 and has continued to grow her role there ever since, now leading literacy across Years 0–8.
2006: The Teaching Pivot
Tammy began her teaching career at Russell Street School in Palmerston North, surrounded by a supportive team who gave her a strong foundation for the way she works with and supports teachers today.
2021-Present:
Literacy Leader at Roslyn
Working closely with Roslyn's Assistant Principal to set yearly literacy priorities, Tammy trials new approaches in her own classroom first, then supports staff through meetings, observations and modelled lessons.
Family & Part-Time Teaching
Tammy stepped back from full-time teaching to raise her young family, continuing to teach part-time where she could — including a stint living in England while her husband played cricket.
2024: Liz Kane Literacy
Tammy officially joined Liz Kane Literacy at the end of 2024, supporting teachers and schools with their literacy journey before launching her highly sought-after Day of Learning course.
